Carte E+

How to obtain permanent residency

If you have been living in Belgium for a number of years and intend to stay living here for a long time or you want to acquire Belgian citizenship, it may be time for you to go down to the “commune” and apply for a permanent residency permit, so that you can consolidate your status and be entered in the Belgian Population Register.

If you are a citizen of the European Union, you can apply for permanent residency on condition that you have lived in Belgium continuously for 5 years from the time that your “annexe 19” document was issued to you when you registered for the first time.

All you have to do is lodge your application with the foreign nationals’ department (service étrangers) at the municipality (commune) where you live. They will give you an “annexe 22” document (application for permanent residency). The municipality will then send your application to the Immigration Office, which will take a decision within 5 months. If your application is successful, you will be issued with an E+ card (+/- €20) and you will no longer be entered in the Register of Foreign Nationals, but in the Belgian Population Register.

If you are a European official (civil servant), who holds a “Special Identity Card” (Carte d’Identité Spéciale – CIS) and provided you have lived in Belgium for 5 years, you can return your CIS card to the relevant department at your European institution and go to your “commune” to apply for an E+ card and benefit from the procedure detailed above.

Advantages of the E+ card: This card is essential should you apply for Belgian citizenship and will also enable you to leave Belgium for up to 2 years without losing your status.

If you are a non-European citizen, the conditions for obtaining unlimited residency are different and depend on your status. Do not hesitate to ask for more information from your local municipality.